THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
AMONG THE ALPINE 
FLOWERS. 
0 vagrant, happy rover! 
Gatherer of treasures rare! 
Never did truest lover 
A heart so happy bear. 
Such almost might the poet have written 
of the lover of alpine tlowers. He is a 
•• vagrant, happy rover,” not satisfied with 
devoting his affections to a few flowers, but 
delighting liimself with the enjoyment of 
the many treasures which the alpine flora 
present to his admiring gaze. Yet, though 
he may roam from flower to flower, he is no 
less constant in his affection; for it is 
strange, but true, that hardly anyone who 
has ever really become interest^ in tlie 
alpine flowers ever loses that love for these 
winsome plants, and forsakes them for 
other flowers. Even in autumn, as we wan¬ 
der through the garden we see some 
treasures, though, of course, the heyday 
of the alpines is over for the season. Yet 
in this bountiful yeai -for bountiful to 
these jilants it has been, and one hardly 
rememl>ers a better year, as a whole—one 
is full of gladness as one studies the flowers. 
within many years unscathed, and has 
lioweretl witli great freedom. There are 
more showy St. John's worts (and many 
of them, too), but it is doubtful if anv of 
them is more delightful than that little 
coris-leaveil one wliich is the subject of 
this note. Beside the golden, wide-spread 
flowers of H. fr.igile, or the softer-tint<Hl 
blossoms of H. reptans, it may appear less 
charming, but when we come to know it, 
we admire it with ever-increasing admira¬ 
tion. 
Gentiana septemflda. 
Gentians are of wondrous Ix^auty, as a 
whole, though there are flowers among 
them which should be rigorously excliKhnl 
from the garden. They are th<* jiariahs 
of the race, and justly banned from the 
company of their own kind, unless, it mav 
be, to act as foils to the grace of their 
kinswomen. But no one can well .say that 
Gentiana septemfida has not earn^l its 
right of admission into the rock gardens of 
all. It is not so dainty as its sister, G. 
yerna, nor has it the compact beautv of 
its forerunner, our lovely gentianella,* yet 
it has for us many charms as wo look at a 
from now until frost comes an<l despoils 
our gardens of their beauty it will bo tlie 
ob.serve<I of oliservers,’’ and the a<l mi ra¬ 
tion of all. A\ere one confined to one 
Androsaee alone it would Ik? A. lanuginosa, 
which would lie chosen ns the most gene¬ 
rally delightful and of the highest value. 
hat more can one sav of a flower such 
as this? 
Campanula rotundifolia 
alpina. 
There are two lielltlowers which are rivals 
for the honour of lK‘ing the finest of tho 
lovely harelM‘lls, which come in our ganlens 
in July, and generally last into August 
should the weaUier be cool, an<l not giving 
us showers or wet <lay.s followcnl hv brilliant 
sun. than which nothing soom‘r shorten.s 
tho p<'rio<l of iKMiuty of the varieties of 
Campanula rotundifolia. These rivals are 
the true C. r. Hosti and C. r. alpina. 
One’s allegiance may l>e claime<l by both, 
ami it is not ea.sy to pay olxMsance'to one, 
ami to .say that thi.s is the que<m of the 
round-leav«>d harebells. There are good 
massi's of both in my garden, and wh<'n 
FIRST PRIZE COLLECTION OF NINE DISHES OF DESSERT FRUIT. 
Exhibited by Mr. S. Barker at the R.H.S. Fruit Sliow. (See page 753.) 
Hypericum coris. 
Here for example, is that dainty lit 
loolfi*?^^ ^ wort, Hypericum ooris, hap- 
oTtho® chwring, on its little flat 
briirlit Burden. Its small, open star 
flowers have all the brig 
finitely tiro race, yet look 
f sister than many of i 
gracefully set along 1 
with branches, or rather stei 
plates a. ^^fined-looking flowers, co 
Pearance^ fascinating i 
‘t- “ tliat keenest critics c? 
ticasure of gold 
cavil value,and nobody < 
^^osewhob r <i^cription, save it 
^ not that Hypericum cc 
^bev would “ ^^eet-tempered,” 
become 
and w by want of conside 
^®bn’s worf^ before now seen this I 
blazing s^ilky wl 
seems to n!! 
^ ^ell wiLiv has never dc 
there ^ semi-sha< 
as stood the hardest winL 
good plant on a level place, not too high 
up, where we can look down on its glossy 
green leaves and its wondrously fine blue 
flowers. Give it a cool nlace, and in July 
and August you are charmed with its 
glorious flowers. We call them “ azure,” 
but feel convinced that the word has not 
yet been coined w’hich will give full value 
to that glorious hue of this easily-grown 
gentian. 
Androsaee lanuginosa. 
It is some years since I mentioned this 
grand androsaee in these notes, but it is 
not because of any want of admiration for 
its charming ways, but rather because of 
an objection to referring to even the most 
lovely flowers too many times. Y"et it can¬ 
not be over-praised. At least, so does one 
think as one sees it trailing over the stones, 
with its lovely satiny leaves and its ex¬ 
quisite flowers. Of rare value is it, too, 
seeing that there are none too many of our 
alpines which will keep up so long a period 
of bloom. It began in June this year; in 
July it was delightful; in August it was 
one of the most prized of our flowers; and 
they are in full bloom it is almost 
impossible to say which is the more 
beautiful. Both have big bells of deepest 
blue, and they give exquisite groups of 
graceful growth and lovely colouring. Of 
Campanula rotundifolia alpina, often sold 
as the true C. alpina, but a much more 
satisfactory plant, it is enough to say that 
it is a gem, with its dainty, rather* hairy 
foliage and its fine deep blue bells in end¬ 
less profusion, drooping gracefully from 
the stout, yet elegant, stems. Perche<l on 
the rock garden a little above the level of 
tho eye, a group is exquisite indeed. 
S. Arnott. 
cytisiis show 
grafted standard high are most attractiv 
but it promises in a general way to be mo? 
valuable when allowed to grow naturally J 
a creeping shrub, in which way it will soc 
cover a considerable space. For the for 
ground of shrubberies, or for the bolder a 
rangements of rockwork, it should be vei 
desirable. The flowers have the colour < 
the typical Cytisus Andreanus, and cons 
quently produce a bright effect.—S.W 
